Roast Turkey Easy Steps For New Cooks Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325f and put a rack in a roasting pan.
• N.B. If you use a foil roasting pan have it seated firmly on a solid tray do not attempt to carry it on it's own without bottom support.
• Remove neck& giblets from the cavity of the bird Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out patting it dry with a paper towel.
• Sprinkle salt& pepper inside and over the skin of the bird Stuff the bird with dressing.
• N.B. Do not do this until just before you are going to cook the bird.
• Stuff the neck cavity as well as the body cavity.
• Secure the neck flap with a skewer or stitch it Tie drumsticks together and close the body cavity securely.
• In a small bowl combine butter,rosemary, sage& thyme, mix well Gently loosen the skin covering the breast, be careful not to tear it Spread herb mixture under the skin and over it Place turkey on rack in the roasting pan Roast the turkey basting every 20 minutes or so If the bird begins to brown too soon place a piece of tin foil loosely over it.
• The bird is cooked when a meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh Apprx 5 1/2 hours Remove turkey from roaster and let stand for 25 minutes Remove ALL the stuffing from the bird, Carve and Serve (Left over turkey and stuffing can be frozen as long as you freeze them separately) Make gravy in the roasting pan while the turkey is resting (a separate recipe will be posted or try one that is already posted).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast-side up. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the bird and transfer the roasting rack to its pan. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Cover the whole bird and pan with aluminum foil, tucking it all the way under the pan. Roast for the first stage for 10 minutes per pound, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for an 18- to 20-pound turkey.
• Meanwhile, place the butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest and orange zest in a bowl. Mix together until combined.
• After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. The turkey will still be pale at this stage. Smear the butter mixture all over the skin and into the crevices of the turkey so that it is totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return the turkey to the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature on the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Put the turkey on a cutting board, cover loosely with fresh aluminum foil and rest for 25 to 30 minutes until you're ready to carve, saving the pan juices for gravy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.